Bridging the Skills Gap: Collaborating to Prepare a Career-Ready Workforce

Wednesday, June 11, 2025

8:30 AM - 9:30 AM EDT

Location: Terrace Ballroom 4

Moderator(s)

MQ

Maura E. Quinn (she/her/hers)

Vice President, Early Talent Acquisition & Engagement Programs
Liberty Mutual Insurance
Boston, Massachusetts, United States

Panelist(s)

MC

Manny Contomanolis

Associate Dean for Undergraduate Education
Harvard University
Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States
JG

Jane Gardner

University Relations & Talent Acquisition Head
W. L. Gore & Associates, Inc., Delaware, United States
NH

Nicole Hall

Sr Assoc VP, Student Affairs
University of Virginia - Career Center, United States

This session will share the latest research and strategies on skill-based hiring and career readiness with actionable insights for integrating skills early and throughout the college experience to create meaningful and lasting outcomes for students and employers alike. Attendees will also explore implementation strategies for their own role.

Learning Objectives:

Participants will be able to identify and describe the critical skills and competencies that drive career readiness and employability, in order to integrate these into student and organizational success strategies.
Participants will be able to describe strategies for joint partnering between employers and higher education to prioritize skills-based knowledge and hiring practices to create a more agile talent pipeline.
Participants will be able to describe current skills-based strategies utilized by employers and higher education institutions to prepare students for personal and professional success.